Rick, a dental implant patient asks:
I am scheduled to receive 2 dental implants in my maxillary right molar region in #2 and #3 areas. My surgeon has informed me that I will need a sinus lift to create adequate bone volume for the implants. Are there any alternatives to a sinus lift? On your website I have read about and seen illustrations of very short implants which can support a normal length crown. Can my surgeon place these short implants instead of having to do a sinus lift? What is the morbidity and success rate for the sinus lift versus these shorter implants?
Necessity for Sinus Lift?
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Short implants i.e. Endopore are very very succesful but I dont think that there is a direct comparisson study between them and Sinus Lifts. A well done Sinus lift is in general a very simple procedure specially if done with the Summers tecnique, and has a good success rate, although I would usually try to use Endopores and do not lift or use them in conjunction with a transalveolar sinus lift (summers)only if needed. Just have to know that this implants (endopore ) work better if placed as stand alone (1 implant per tooth) and not as a lengthy bridge. The design of this implant allows the to support a full size molar crown with a 5x5mm implant that requires as little as 5mm of bone(height) and 7-8 mm in bone width.
Best of Luck
Rick, depending on how long those teeth were missing and other factors, there may be only a thin layer of bone between your gums and the sinus membrane. I have seen many since I began using our CB CAT scan 2 years ago that were less than 3mm thick. Even the short implants need more bone than that. The short implants usually compensate with greater width, and the bony ridge of your maxilla may not have the width either.
Sinus lifts have become relatively commonplace and are generally quite successful. Best of luck, and thanks for becoming an informed patient.
Read Volume 21.number5. 2006
JOMI- International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial implants
Dr. Murray Arlin article on short dental implants
Success with the ITI Straumann implant system. 94+ sucess rate
6mm free standing will work but is ususlly recommended to splint two together. This article shows free standing in clinical reality.
Enjoy
Generally go for the sinus lift which will definately be better in the long term.These procedures are routine and sucessful and the bone created is generally more dense than maxillary bone thus resulting in bettter long term results
I will go with Dr. Fairbairn.
Hi All.
70 year old male. very good health, (good as a 45-50 year old). Upper jaw edentulous, lower left mandible edentulous. (an interesting life!)
Resident in France (UK national)
Shortly off to Sofia for assement for full set of individual implants in Zirconium (24 in all). with autogenous bone grafts and sinus lifts
Like to thank you for this site, I have found it very informative and helpful during my search for the best course action to get me able to eat real food again (after 40 years)
Mike Stanleys Jan 8 comments were refreshing after years of put downs from uk dentists on what would be possible and best for my requirements.
What a shame he wasn’t my dentist,
Every patient should be steered to this site
djk
Dear Rick,
although the sinus lift technique is pretty predictable nowadays, it still generates about 15-30% failure rate. Historically, there are a different group of implants, known as “Basal osseointegration implants”, or “Disk implants”, with pretty much the same success rate, without the need of a second surgery!
Browse through the web on the matter, I think that you will be surprised.
Very often a simple solution is a better one.
Good luck,
Dr Dimitrov
I am a 69 year old female. Need 2 implants and sinus lift. This is for the top right. On the right side, I have deviated septum.
With deviated septum, does this has any additional concerns for a sinus lift? Thanks for your time. mfergu3@aol.com
Is there any extra concerns with a sinus lift with deviated septum?
i am suppose to have a complete sinus lift, which is alright by me, but the dentist is charging twice for a complete sinus lift to be done on the the same day, is this right? can you have 2 complete sinus lift on the same day?
I just happened accross this website and I noted a comment from another Dr. regarding a 15 to 30% failure rate for sinus lifts. I would like to site The Consnesus Study on Sinus Lifts (Int. J. Oral and Maxillofaical Implants 1998). Overall survival rate of over 3500 implants in 1000 patients and 38 clinicians was 90%. There are also other large studies demonstrating very high success rates. The procedure is quite benign when performed by an experienced clinician.